A correlation of erythrokinetics, ineffective erythropoiesis, and erythroid precursor apoptosis in thai patients with thalassemia. (9/382)

The variety of patients with thalassemia in Thailand offers an opportunity to fully characterize the kinetic causes of the anemia and to study apoptosis of marrow erythroid precursors as a possible factor contributing to its severity. Kinetic studies showed that in hemoglobin H (HbH) disease, the extent of hemolysis, as well as the minimally ineffective erythropoiesis, usually falls within the compensatory capacity of normal erythropoiesis; therefore, anemia in patients with HbH partly represents a failure to expand erythropoiesis adequately. Hemoglobin Constant Spring (HbCS), a common variant of alpha thalassemia in Bangkok, causes more severe hemolysis and a distinct increase in ineffective erythropoiesis. Ineffective erythropoiesis plays a much more prominent role in beta thalassemia/hemoglobin E (beta-thal/HbE) disease, in which the variability of the anemia is puzzling. We compared mild and severe cases and found that patients with severe disease had a maximal marrow erythropoietic response that failed to compensate for very short survival of red blood cells and a marked quantitative increase in ineffective erythropoiesis. Analysis of apoptosis of marrow erythroid precursors done both on shipped samples and in Bangkok showed a moderate increase in HbH disease, consistent with the small increase in ineffective erythropoiesis. In patients with homozygous HbCS, there was a further increase in apoptosis, consistent with the additional increase in ineffective erythropoiesis. Patients with beta-thal/HbE disease had the most ineffective erythropoiesis and the most erythroid apoptosis. Thus, it appears that alpha-chain deposition in erythroid precursors, either alpha(A) or alpha(cs), leads to accelerated apoptosis and ineffective erythropoiesis.  (+info)

Fish oil diet affects on oxidative senescence of red blood cells linked to degeneration of spleen cells in mice. (10/382)

The effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and alpha-tocopherol supplementation on erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and immunocompetent cells in mice was studied comparatively using seven dietary oils (15% oil/diet, w/w) including fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6, n-3). A 43% increase in spleen weight, about twice as many spleen cells and no change in the subpopulations of spleen cells, as well as a significant depression of mitogen-induced blastogenesis of both T and B cells in the spleen were observed in mice fed fish oil for 30 days in comparison with soybean oil diet-fed mice. In the fish oil diet-fed mice, membranous lipid hydroperoxide (hydroperoxides of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) accumulation as a marker of oxidative senescence in red blood cells (RBC) was 2.7-3.5 times higher than that in mice fed soybean oil, although there was no difference in the plasma phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide concentration. In spite of the supplementation of alpha-tocopherol to up to 10 times the level in the basal diet, the degeneration of spleen cells and the stimulated oxidative senescence of RBC found by the fish oil feeding could not be prevented. The results suggest that oral intake of excess polyunsaturated fatty acids, i.e. EPA and DHA, in a fish oil diet can lead to acceleration of membrane lipid peroxidation resulting in RBC senescence linked to the lowering of immune response of spleen cells, and that supplementation of alpha-tocopherol as antioxidant does not always effectively prevent such oxidative degeneration as observed in spleen cells and RBC in vivo.  (+info)

Phospholipase A(2)s and lipid peroxidation. (11/382)

Lipid peroxidation of membrane phospholipids can proceed both enzymatically via the mammalian 15-lipoxygenase-1 or the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase system and non-enzymatically. In some cells, such as reticulocytes, this process is biologically programmed, whereas in the majority of biological systems lipid peroxidation is a deleterious process that has to be repaired via a deacylation-reacylation cycle of phospholipid metabolism. Several reports in the literature pinpoint a stimulation by lipid peroxidation of the activity of secretory phospholipase A(2)s (mainly pancreatic and snake venom enzymes) which was originally interpreted as a repair function. However, recent experiments from our laboratory have demonstrated that in mixtures of lipoxygenated and native phospholipids the former are not preferably cleaved by either secretory or cytosolic phospholipase A(2)s. We propose that the platelet activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolases of type II, which cleave preferentially peroxidised or lipoxygenated phospholipids, are competent for the phospholipid repair, irrespective of their role in PAF metabolism. A corresponding role of Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2), which has been proposed to be involved in phospholipid remodelling in biomembranes, has not been addressed so far. Direct and indirect 15-lipoxygenation of phospholipids in biomembranes modulates cell signalling by several ways. The stimulation of phospholipase A(2)-mediated arachidonic acid release may constitute an alternative route of the arachidonic acid cascade. Thus, 15-lipoxygenase-mediated oxygenation of membrane phospholipids and its interaction with phospholipase A(2)s may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diseases, such as bronchial asthma and atherosclerosis.  (+info)

Characterization of chromatin-bound erythrocyte histone V (f2c). Synthesis, acetylation, and phosphorylation. (12/382)

Synthesis and enzymatic modification of histone V was 1 order of magnitude lower in mature gander erythrocytes as compared with immature enriched cells hwich were capable of DNA synthesis. Application of shallow, linear gradient chromatography was used to demonstrate qualitative changes as well. This technique permitted the separation of newly synthesized and phosphorylated histone V from older, less phosphorylated molecules but did not discriminate between acetylated species. The most easily eluted fractions were those most recently synthesized, acetylated, and phosphorylated. While lysine chased into the other subfractions of histone V, phosphate did not, indicating a dephosphorylation step in the immature cells. Acetylation of histone V which occurs at a very low level was closely related to its synthesis. No differences in molecular weights or amino acid compositions were apparent, and behavior on polyacrylamide gels was similar to whole histone V. It is proposed that phosphorylation of histone V may play an important role in the modulation of the effect of histone V in immature cells on condensation and template restriction of chromatin which occurs in the terminal stages of differentiation of the avian erythroid cells.  (+info)

Alteration of human erythrocyte membrane properties by complement fixation. (13/382)

Erythrocyte survival studies of complement-coated radiolabeled erythrocytes have shown rapid removal of these cells from the peripheral blood with a return of these cells into the circulation within a few hours. We studied complement-coated human erythrocytes and measured surface charge and deformability, two parameters believed to be important in erythrocyte survival. Erythrocytes were coated with complement by two in vitro techniques: the addition of (a) low ionic strength sucrose, and (b) IgM cold agglutinins. Erythrocytes obtained from three patients with cold agglutinin disease were used as a source of in vivo complement-coated cells. No difference was found in surface charge as measured by electrophoretic mobility between erythrocytes from normal subjects and complement-coated erythrocytes from any of the three sources. When deformability was measured by filtration through 3-mum polycarbonate sieves, marked decreases in deformability were found in complement-coated erythrocytes. The filtration returned toward control levels by incubating the complement-coated erythrocytes in serum for 1 h and correlated with decreases in immune adherence. Using screen filtration pressure as a measure of deformability, a positive correlation between number of C3 molecules per erythrocyte and decreased deformability was found. C3b appeared responsible for the decreased deformability of the erythrocytes, since conversion of C3b to C3d resulted in a return of deformability toward normal. The data suggested that the sequestration of complement-coated human erythrocytes in the microvasculature can be explained in part by decreased deformability and changes in immune adherence.  (+info)

Reduced oxidative-stress response in red blood cells from p45NFE2-deficient mice. (14/382)

p45NF-E2 is a member of the cap 'n' collar (CNC)-basic leucine zipper family of transcriptional activators that is expressed at high levels in various types of blood cells. Mice deficient in p45NF-E2 that were generated by gene targeting have high mortality from bleeding resulting from severe thrombocytopenia. Surviving p45nf-e2(-/-) adults have mild anemia characterized by hypochromic red blood cells (RBCs), reticulocytosis, and splenomegaly. Erythroid abnormalities in p45nf-e2(-/-) animals were previously attributed to stress erythropoiesis caused by chronic bleeding and, possibly, ineffective erythropoiesis. Previous studies suggested that CNC factors might play essential roles in regulating expression of genes that protect cells against oxidative stress. In this study, we found that p45NF-E2-deficient RBCs have increased levels of reactive oxygen species and an increased susceptibility to oxidative-stress-induced damage. Deformability of p45NF-E2-deficient RBCs was markedly reduced with oxidative stress, and mutant cells had a reduced life span. One possible reason for increased sensitivity to oxidative stress is that catalase levels were reduced in mutant RBCs. These findings suggest a role for p45NF-E2 in the oxidative-stress response in RBCs and indicate that p45NF-E2 deficiency contributes to the anemia in p45nf-e2(-/-) mice. (Blood. 2001;97:2151-2158)  (+info)

Primaquine-induced hemolytic anemia: formation and hemotoxicity of the arylhydroxylamine metabolite 6-methoxy-8-hydroxylaminoquinoline. (15/382)

Primaquine is an important antimalarial agent because of its activity against exoerythrocytic forms of Plasmodium spp. However, methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia are dose-limiting side effects of primaquine therapy that limit its efficacy. These hemotoxicities are thought to be mediated by metabolites; however, the identity of the toxic species has remained unclear. Since N-hydroxy metabolites are known to mediate the hemotoxicity of several arylamines, the present studies were undertaken to determine whether 6-methoxy-8-aminoquinoline (6-MAQ), a known human metabolite of primaquine, could undergo N-hydroxylation to form a hemotoxic metabolite. When 6-MAQ was incubated with rat and human liver microsomes, a single metabolite was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. This metabolite was identified as 6-methoxy-8-hydroxylaminoquinoline (MAQ-NOH) by HPLC and mass spectral analyses. As measured by decreased survival of (51)Cr-labeled erythrocytes in rats, MAQ-NOH was hemolytic in vivo. Furthermore, in vitro exposure of (51)Cr-labeled erythrocytes to MAQ-NOH caused a concentration-dependent decrease in erythrocyte survival (EC(50) of 350 microM) when the exposed cells were returned to the circulation of isologous rats. MAQ-NOH also induced the formation of methemoglobin when incubated with suspensions of rat erythrocytes. These data indicate that 6-MAQ can be metabolized to MAQ-NOH by both rat and human liver microsomes and that MAQ-NOH has the requisite properties to be a hemotoxic metabolite of primaquine. The contribution of MAQ-NOH to the hemotoxicity of primaquine in vivo remains to be assessed.  (+info)

The kinetics of hematopoiesis in the light horse II. The hematological response to hemorrhagic anemia. (16/382)

Hemorrhagic anemia was experimentally produced in three Standardbred horses by removing approximately 63% of the red cell mass and the accompanying plasma during a three day interval. Red cell parameters were examined daily for 45 days and then weekly until termination of the experiment 250 days after production of the anemia. Leukocytes, platelets and bone marrow aspirates were examined at regular intervals for 25 days after the final phlebotomy. At 24 hours after the last bleeding, 75-selenomethionine was injected intravenously to measure the lifespan of the newly produced erythrocytes. The erythrocyte lifespan was found to be 139 days as compared to the 155 day erythrocyte lifespan for three normal standardbred horses measured previously by similar techniques. The maximum decrease in erythrocyte numbers occurred four, two and two days following the last phlebotomy to 43, 39 and 44% of the original values. The prebleeding erythrocyte levels were regained at approximately 63, 91 and 98 days respectively. During the initial 45 days post phlebotomy the maximum increase in mean cell colume was 2, 4 and 7 mj-3 respectively. During the recovery period there was erythrocyte production of 6.84, 6.99, and 6.12 x 10-9 cells/kg/day. At the same time the absolute production of hemoglobin was 44.6, 50.0, and 51.0/gm/day or on a relative basis 0.096, 0.114 and 0.113 gm/kg/day.  (+info)